FITTING IN AT THE HARBOR – The proposed four-story Hyannis Harbor Suites Hotel (center) will be visible from the harbor with its railing around the top. Some changes to the plans were presented this week to the planning board.

Owners still working on details for final reviews

Planning board members were pleased with several changes presented June 10 for the proposed year-round Hyannis Harbor Suites Hotel, but they still had some reservations about the adequacy of parking. The board continued the application to its July 22 meeting.

Attorney Mike Ford, representing the Newport Hotel Group’s principal, Doug Cohen, said the firm is still working out some details and mitigation with the town manager’s office, but expects to have everything ready for a possible final review at the July meeting. The town council must act on the regulatory agreement after receiving a recommendation from the planning board.

“We think the plan is starting to gel,” Ford said. He described changes made in the initial proposal, presented to the board in February, that were based on input from neighbors, the Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Historic District Commission and two meetings with the town’s site plan review committee. The designers removed most rooftop elements on the four-story 40-foot-high building, including an exposed elevator, a fire pit, and a viewing area, leaving only a stairway and elevator shaft and trim fence around the top.

The four-story section of the hotel also will be moved back 50 feet from Ocean Street and a single-story front section will be 32 feet from the street, based on feedback. “We tried to bring the entire building back,” Ford said.

Twenty parking spaces will be added from the current lot to total 180, a ratio of .8 spaces per room, same as the current ratio. The existing hotel has 136 rooms and the new one to be built next to it will have 68. “The building inspector was satisfied but recommended a yearly review of parking,” Ford said.

The single-story section preserves the views across the harbor, he said. Another addition includes more stone walls around the new building that match existing walls.

Ford said that George Jessop of the Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Historic District Commission said the proposed simple lines of the new hotel fit in with the district, and wanted the railing on top.

The hotel’s parking lot has always been open to the public, Ford said, but under the new plans will be restricted for hotel customers and employees. He said the only complaints received about the parking were from other parking lot managers in the area.

A member of the Hyannis Anglers’ Club next door to the hotel said that club members’ cars had been towed from the hotel lot in the past. Cohen said he wasn’t aware of such action regarding the club.

Planning board Chairman Matthew Teague said his biggest concern with the plan is that it hasn’t added more parking. “It needs some consideration for the busy season when it’s packed there,” he said.

Member Felicia Penn agreed that the parking would be inadequate and she calculated a net loss of 46 taking into account the additional rooms.

Member Patrick Princi said he is happier with the new plan, but agreed that the parking lots will be jammed during the 60-day busy summer season. However, he said he believes the parking issue can be worked out, perhaps with valet parking as needed, which the owners are proposing.

Ford said the owners will continue to work on the parking issues.

“There’s a serious need for new construction of hotels in this town,” Princi added. He expressed concern that Barnstable is not keeping up with other Cape communities.

David Munsell, the fourth board member present at Monday’s hearing, gave the strongest endorsement of the hotel plan. “I love to see the traffic and people coming to downtown. I think this is a great asset,” he said, and told the hotel representatives, “You’ve done a nice job since the last meeting.”

Elizabeth Wurfbain, executive director of the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District, also representing BID President Dave Colombo and Jessica Sylver, president and CEO of the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, said, “We think it is a nice, fine looking piece that fits in very well and year round is quite good for the businesses involved.”